Relationships are the reason.

How it began

Before there was an organization or permanent Camp property, there was a simple belief born from lived fatherhood: meaningful time together can strengthen the bond between a father and child. An early father-son canoe trip helped that belief take shape.

The first Camp f3TCh was held on Father's Day weekend in 2014 with five fathers and eight children. What began as a small camping trip continued because fathers, children, volunteers, sponsors, and community supporters believed the relationships being built were worth protecting.

What we do

Camp f3TCh is the flagship outreach of the organization. Canoeing, camping, shared meals, campfires, and time outdoors create opportunities for fathers and children to connect. The activities are tools. The relationship is the reason.

Some families come hoping to rebuild connection. Others return year after year to fortify a bond already strong and encourage fathers attending for the first time. Camp has historically remained free for participating families so finances do not decide who receives the opportunity.

What we protect

Children come first. Fathers are welcomed without shame. Volunteers lead through service. Supporters are treated as partners, and every resource entrusted to f3TCh carries a responsibility. Growth is worthwhile only when it preserves access, trust, community, and the relationship-centered culture that built Camp.

Our future

The permanent f3TCh property in East Tennessee gives the mission a home and creates new possibilities for Camp and other relationship-building work. The immediate responsibility is to care for that home, strengthen the organization behind it, and build only in ways that serve fathers and children well.